I’m writing today primarily to my friends in the U.S., but not exclusively. No matter where you are in the world, you can change your community too, so please feel free to stay and read. I make it a point not to be political on this page, and I’m not changing that now. I’m simply writing to remind all of us that, as Christians, our citizenship is in Heaven. We are only here for a season, but while we are here, we must also remember that there is only one who can heal our land and restore our country.

Social media is buzzing after Monday night’s Presidential debate. The two sides came out spitting – no, not the candidates – their supporters. Friends, I submit to you for your consideration that neither of these two candidates are our savior. Both of them are completely incapable of saving this country. They are only human. Neither of these two candidates, nor the other two who were not invited to the debate stage, are physically or mentally capable of anything more than any of the rest of us.

Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about how bad things are and how evil people are becoming. Friends, the enemy knows his time is almost up. His goal is to stir up as much strife and fear and trouble in this world as he possibly can. He is a liar and there is no truth in him (John 8:44). We, as God’s people, are tasked to stand up against him and refuse to fear. Do not let the lies of the devil shake you. Do not be moved by what you see.

I don’t know about your family, but mine is ALWAYS thirsty. We stopped buying soda a couple of years ago in an effort to 1.) encourage healthier beverage choices, and 2.) reign in our ridiculously high grocery budget. After the “soda strike” I found myself buying way too many sports drinks. While these are a slightly healthier option than soda, they are not such a great choice for the budget. My family can go through an 8-pack of sports drinks in one weekend and that stuff is expensive! I knew there had to be a better way but I had no idea what the better way would be until I stumbled upon this post at “One Good Thing by Jillee”.

Enough about the “why’s” though – Let’s get to the doing. I’ve made this sports drink several times for my family and they love it! The ingredient list is short which makes me love it too. 🙂 Continue Reading

Giving to those less fortunate seems almost “trendy” these days. In the age of social media, we’re not hard pressed to find a feel-good story with thousands of shares or a crowd-sourcing site set up for someone who’s found themselves caught up in less than ideal circumstances. I don’t think there’s a single thing wrong with any of these things and I doubt that God would find a reason to frown upon them either.

There was a viral story recently about a boy who asked a gentleman if he could help him carry his groceries in exchange for some donuts; and humanity came through for this boy and his disabled mother in a BIG way. There are also great stories floating around about paying the tolls for the car behind you at the toll-booth, or paying for the coffee of the driver behind you at the drive-thru, and even buying lunch for law officers to say thank you (which I highly recommend). Even Pinterest has countless ideas for “blessing bags” for the homeless. There are even free printable cards available to add to the bags.

All of these are wonderful ways to give and be blessed in the giving, and I have no doubt that each of these instances gives just a little bit of hope, or at least a little pick-me-up, to the recipients of these acts of kindness.

BUT …. Are you giving obediently? Are Blessing Bags what God told you to do?Continue Reading

There is something I have learned over the past few years and life is good because of it. Yes, it took me a while to understand in my heart, and I paid the price of depression, anxiety, and discontent. I finally learned the secret of how to be happy! What is it, you ask?

My life changing revelation was this: A thing is only offensive if you take offense to it!

Does that mean that all is right with the world? No. Does that mean that we shouldn’t be passionate about things? No. What it does mean is that if we see or hear something that sparks an emotion in us, we need to stop right there and evaluate that emotion. Just; whatever you do, do not put on the armor of offense! That’s it – one easy step to happiness! (Ok, I’ll admit, it might be easier said than done – but it CAN be done.)

If it is anything negative, we have a choice. We can consciously choose to let it go from within ourselves and follow the advice Jesus gives in Philippians 4:8 [AMP] ~ “For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” We must choose to direct our thoughts to things that are good!Continue Reading

Well, it’s FINALLY here! The grips of cold and wet weather have given way to the beauty of late Spring and Summer! I’m excited, are you? Sometime around February I had begun to fear that Spring would never come – haha – but, as seasons do, the weather has changed and Summer is knocking on our door. Kids are starting their summer break from school and pools are opening across the country so it’s time to head outside. Hooray!!

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I don’t know if the bugs are as big or as mean where you live as they are here in Southeast Texas, but regardless, I bet they are no less annoying when you’re trying to enjoy your time outside. Nobody wants to use chemical repellents that leave a stinky sticky mess on your skin, though. Yuck! Fortunately, my beloved Spark Naturals has a perfect solution that is all natural and safe enough for even young children. I’d like to introduce you toNature Outdoor Blend, Spark Naturals’ proprietary blend of essential oils, mixed with fractionated coconut oil for gentle, safe and effective use to repel pests when you head outside.

Nature Outdoor Blend has a lovely lemon-vanilla scent and dries quickly on the skin so you can actually enjoy your time outside. You can apply it directly to your skin, as it is already diluted for gentleness with fractionated coconut oil; but my favorite way to use it is to add about 25 drops to a1 oz. glass spray bottleand top it off with good qualitywitch hazel. It makes arefreshing and cooling spritz that you can apply repeatedly throughout the day that effectively repels pests such as mosquitoes, chiggers, fleas, ticks, ants, flies, gnats, and more. (Please be careful not to spray it directly into eyes, nose, or mouth)Continue Reading